Present status and future developments of the Dutch NAMEA

Abstract Environmental accounting relates environmental data to the national accounts. This enables consistent comparison of environmental and economic indicators. Work areas range from accounts for natural resources such as the extraction of oil and gas to material use and emissions data such as CO 2 and waste. The environmental accounts are internationally comparable through common frameworks, concepts and methods. Statistics Netherlands has a long history in environmental accounting at the national accounts department. This culminated in the introduction of the National Accounting Matrix including Environmental Accounts (NAMEA) in 1991. In this paper the history and theory of the NAMEA are discussed, as well as the future extensions which are currently envisaged. At present, the core publication of the Dutch environmental accounts consist of three parts, namely the NAMEA-matrix, detailed emission accounts for NAMEA and the water accounts (NAMWA). The NAMEA consists of a conventional National Accounts Matrix (NAM), extended with two accounts on the environment: a substance account and an account for environmental themes. NAMWA is a further specification of NAMEA for water, using the same accounting structure. At present, Statistics Netherlands is extending the system of environmental accounts based on the System of Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA). This extension includes projects on subsoil accounts, physical accounts, water accounts, eco-industry accounts, dispersion accounts, waste accounts, energy accounts, land use accounts, environmental tax en subsidy accounts as well as macro-economic analyses.